Fire preventer for moving-picture machines



J. BECKHAM.

FIRE PREVENTER FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1920.

Patented June 13, 1922.

fig. 2.

JOHN'BECKHAM, F AUSTIN, TEXAS.

, FIRE PREVENTER FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

To (tZZ whom it may concern."

lie it known that 1, JOHN BECKHAM, cltizenot the United States, residing at Austin, in the county oi. Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fire Preventers for lilovingdhcture Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

all

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in moving picture machines and more particularly to a safety device [or preventing the film from catching fire during the operation of the machine, the main object of the invention being the provision. of fire protection device for moving picture films which is of simple and inexpensive construction and can be readily and. easily placedas an attachment on any of the standard moving picture machines;

Another object of, the invention is the provision of a device comprising mechanism so constructed and arranged that should the film break in its passage through the ma chine or the mechanism fail to carry the film past the light aperture in the film travel of the machine, the fire shutter will be automatically permitted to drop to a closed position, thereby protecting the film against the heat.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features and construction the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View, taken through a portion of a standard moving picture machine, illustrating my improved fire shutter attached thereto, the same being illustrated in tull lines in an open position and. in a closed position by dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, t

Figure 3 is a detailed top plan View of the uppermost pivoted plate of my device, and i t Figure 4L is a top plan View of the shutter plate illustrated in its open position.

In the drawings accompanying this application, I have illustrated. in Figure 1 a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13', 1922.

Application filed May 25, 1920. SerialNo. 384,107.

portion of a standard moving picture machine, the 'frame or body of which is generally indicated by the numeral 1 and mounted within this body or-frame and supported thereby are theseveral guide rollers 52 and the main guide roller 3 which located above the light opening 4 in the rear wall of the body or liramel. The numeral 5 designates a film which passes downwardly between the two uppermost guide rollers, thence around another roller and onto the upper feeding sprocket 6.

-Atter the film passes over the feeding sprocket (5, it contacts with the main guide roller 3 and is guided downwardly across the opening 4 onto the second feeding sprocket 7 and is held in engagement with this second sprocket 7 by one of the guide rollers which is arranged adjacent the sprocket Arranged at the rear wall of the body 1 isa plate 8 having an opening 9 there through, arranged directly in alignment with the opening 1. This plate is arranged in spaced relation with the rear wall of the body 1 so as to provide a suitable passage for the film as it leaves the roller 3, As a general rule, there is considerable slack between the two feeding sprockets 6 and 7 this slack being retained at the upper portion oi the machineby the roller 3 which tends to retain the film 5 in engagement with the rear wall of the body member 1 so that when the film passes downwardly over the opening 4 it will be drawn tightly and will thus run smoothly past this opening, the feed sprocket 7 drawing the film against the contacting force of the roller 3.

A supporting plate 10 is arranged adjacent the plate 8 and is provided with an opening 11 adapted to be directly aligned with the openings 4: and 9, whereby the projecting light will pass 'therethrough. Mounted upon this plate 10 is a bracket 12 having perforated cars 13 at the upper end thereof, in which is mounted a shaft 1d adapted for turning movement within the perforations of the ears 13. Mounted upon the shaft 14lis the fire shutter plate 15 which is adapted for swinging movement with the shaft 14; to shut off the light from being projected through the openings 4, 9 and 1.1, should the occasion arise.

In order to actuate the shutter 15 automatically with the breaking of the film, a

crank arm 16 is attached at one end to the shaft 14 and attached to the crank arm is a rod 17, said rod extending upwardly through a housing 18 and loosely connected with a pivoted plate 19 by means of the rod l7. The plate 1.9 is pivotally connected to the housing 18 as shown at 20 and has mounted at its outer end a roller 21 which is normally mounted upon the slack portion. of the film 5 as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. From this, it will be noted that while the film is running through the ma chine in perfect order as illustrated in Figure l, the plate 19 is supported through the medii'u'n ot the roller 21 in such a position as to retain the shutter 15 in its open position, but should the film break so as to release the slack in the lilm 5 at a point above the roller 3, the plate 19 will be permitted to drop downwardly, thus actuating the crank arm 16, which in turn will rotate the shaft ll and close the shutter plate 15, thus automatically cutting off the stream of light which is being projected through the openings i, 9 and 11 and prevent the film from catching lire. It will also be noted that should the slack of the film become greater than the ordinary run, the film 5 will drop down and thus permit the plate 19 to drop down so that the shutter 15 will be operated to close the openings through which the light is projected as it is a general fact that any great amount of slack will have a tendency to loosen the :[ilm between the roller 3 and the feeding sprocket 7 and thus retain the heat oi the light upon the lilm a suificient length of time to accidentally lire the same.

From the above description, taken in connertion with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that I have provided a lire protection device for moving picture films which is simple and inexpensive in construction and can be quickly and easily attached to any of the standard moving picture machines. It will also be apparent that the device is so constructed and arranged that should the lilm break in its passage through the machine, the lire shutter will be automatically permitted to drop to a closed position, thereby protecting the lihn against the heat of the light.

\i'hat I claim is:

A device of the class described, including a supporting plate, a bracket connected thereto, a rod mounted for rotationupon the bracket, a shutter plate carried by the rod, a crank upon one end of the rod, an operating rod having one end connected to the crank, an actuating plate pi'votally connected at its central portion to the operating rod above the shutter plate, a housing for said actuating plate, said actuating plate being pivoted at one end to the housing, a roller suspended at the outer end of said plate and normally supported by a iilm whereby to retain the shutter in an open position and said roller and said actuating plate being adapted to drop downwardly upon a break in the film to actuate the shutter, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I a'l'iix my signature.

JOHN BE (1K HAM. 

